NEGOTIATION

Elza Mylona, Ph.D.

Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs
and Faculty Development
 Objectives:
The session is designed to:
 Identify and discuss individual
sources of negotiating strength
 Practice skills that can influence the
outcome of the negotiation
 Develop an awareness of the
importance of personality traits,
trust and self-awareness in effective
negotiating
What is negotiation?

Negotiation is back and forth

communication designed to reach
agreement while leaving the other side
intact and positive.

Easier to negotiate when the two sides

have some shared interests and some
opposed.
Negotiation

Soft:
Participants are friends.
The goal is agreement.

Hard:
Participants are adversaries.
The goal is victory
Negotiation
Principled =Negotiating on the merits or
principles or interest based negotiation
 Develop multiple options to choose from;
decide later.
 Avoid premature judgment.
 Avoid searching for the single answer.
 Avoid assuming the pie is fixed.
 Avoid thinking that “solving their problem
IS their problem”.
From Fisher and Ury: Getting to Yes, 1981
 When and where do we negotiate?
 At Work
 Salary and job responsibilities, space etc
 With Patients
 Compliance
 At Home

 Other ??
 Negotiation
 Includes:
 Listening

 Ability to identify the interests of

both sides
 Persuasion

 Diplomacy

 Building and preserving relationships

Negotiation Process
Preparation1:
 Know what your
interests are and
why you value them
 What is the issue at
hand
 What are the ”needs”
vs. “wants”
 Know the strengths
and weaknesses of
your position and self
 Self awareness,
personality
characteristics,
emotional intelligence
 Negotiation Process
Preparation2:
 See things from the other side’s point of
view- why they are negotiating?-
 Research the interest of the other side
 What are their needs (security, autonomy,
recognition)
 Be aware of the unpleasant consequences
for both sides if your idea/proposal is not
accepted
 If you succeed who else might be affected,
harmed, advanced?
Negotiation Process
Planning1:
 Brainstorm all
alternatives that could
satisfy your needs
 Be creative and expand
the pie
 Know who is supportive
and who is not/less
 Does this person has
the authority to make
the decision?
 Are there any
penalties for bluffing?
 Are there time limits
associated with
negotiations?
Negotiation Process
Planning2:

 Imagine how it would feel to

achieve your goal
 Role play your opening with a
trusted colleague and rehearse the
problematic areas
 Be the devil’s advocate
 Plan ways to break it/Buy time
 “I need to think over what you just
said so can I have a couple of
minutes?”
The Best Alternative to a Negotiated
Agreement (BATNA)

 A well thought
out BATNA gives
you more power
(leverage)
 Decide on:
 What you can
comfortably walk
away?
 Bluffing? Don’t
allow desperation
to be detected in
your non verbal
Negotiation Process
During1:
 Bring the list of your
main points and a set
of questions
 Try not to interrupt;
the more they
reveal, the more
you’ll learn
 Re-state as
impartially as you can
“as I hear it…)
 Stay open to new
information
 Take notes
Negotiation Process
During2:

 Focus on interests. Not people, not

gains
 Use objective criteria to make
decisions and be sure the other
party does as well
 Redirect personal attacks onto the
problem at hand
Negotiation Process
During3:
 Listen actively and
reflectively
 Listen also for
what is not said
 Learn from what
the other side says
 Stay open to new
information
 Synthesize the
information you
hear and use it in
your own argument
Negotiation Process
During4:

 Be prepared to
walk away if an
agreement is not
reached.
 Write a note or
memo if contract
or agreement is
required.
(e.g., “If I don’t hear
by x, will assume
that it stands”)
Common Errors
 Assuming shared values
 Assuming similar communication
preferences
 Big picture thinking or detailed analyses?
 Stories or facts?
 Time to process or get decisions over with?
 Expect reciprocity
 Avoiding conflict
 Trying to prove how smart or “right” you
are by talking
 Not listening carefully
Negotiation: Planning
REF: Shell, Bargaining for Advantage

Negotiation Skilled Average

Behavior

Questions, as% of all 21.3 9.6

negotiating behavior

Active listening: Testing 9.7 4.1

for understanding

Active Listening: 7.5 4.2

Summarizing

Total information 38.5 17.9

exchange
The Six-Step
(Negotiation)Process

 State
 the problem/issue.
 Identify real needs (interests)on
both sides.
 Restate the problem/issue(I think
the real issue is…).
 Present possible solutions.

 Decide on the best solution.

 Reach consensus.
 Negotiation of new position/$
 Salaries
 Learn about the “market” regionally,
nationally and the range at the institution
 www.aamc.org/ publications
 Postpone until position is offered
 Let the other side made the first offer
 “well, so far the position is attractive, and I’m
sure you pay a fair salary, don’t you..”
 Tie requests for resources to the
mission of the institution and other
party’s needs
 REM: The salary offer is not fixed!
Other features to negotiate:
 Benefits
 Parking, vacation, retirement, insurance
 Promotion criteria, track
 Space and equipment
 Expectations/ time commitments
 Protected time
 Professional development opportunities
 memberships, meetings
 Administrative support
Gender and Negotiation

Mythical Perceptions
 Good behavior is justly rewarded
 Corporate or academic family will take
care all members
 One’s unique abilities naturally lead to
advancement
 Reality
 Unwillingness to ask for desired reward
and then to negotiate to mutual agreement
Barriers to Negotiation

Self-perception
 It is more important to be liked than
anything else
 Tend to feel more empowered to
negotiate for colleagues than for self
(extension of protecting children)
 More likely to experience work opposition
as harmful to friendship
 Too rule-oriented
 When anxious, tend to talk too much!
Barriers to Negotiation

Power talk and Power actions

 Disqualify assertive statements” This
needs to be done…is that OK?”
 Automatically apologize when noting
another’s distress= admission of
responsibility
 Invite disagreement< “You may not like
this, but….”
Barriers to Negotiation

Try 3-stage assertiveness:

When you do…..
I feel….. because….
I prefer….
Negotiation Outcomes

 Both sides should come to consensus

and commit to the agreement
 The agreement should help to maintain
ongoing communications and
interactions between the negotiating
parties so that future negotiations can
take place
 Negotiations should lead to a better
situation
The test of a first-rate intelligence
is the ability to hold two opposed
ideas in mind at the same time and
still retain the ability to function.

F. Scott Fitzgerald
Remember…

 Don’t dwell on people or gains. Stick to

the interests at hand.
 Don’t close doors. Be fair. You may wish
to enter into negotiations again.
 The end result should be acceptable to
both parties.
 Your BATNA establishes the reality of
how important the agreement is to you
and what you are willing to accept.
Remember…

 If you don’t ask, don’t expect…

 Negotiations with high expectations do
better.
 The pie is almost never “fixed”.
 Don’t be afraid to offend: “it’s only
business.”
 Most negotiations are as much about
emotion as they are money.
Remember…

 Pay attention to both levels of process:

 Discussion of the issue about which decision
must be made
 Development of a relationship that leads
often to win/win solution
 Don’t give too much credit to the other
side
 You are an asset and present from
strength